Flash light



June 2, 1925.

. W. C. ANDERSON FLASH LIGHT Filed April 14. 1924 R m V W W\ e Patented June 2, 1925.

UNITED STATEfl PATENT oFFICE- FLASH LIGHT' Application filed. Apr l 14, 924. Serial No. 706,579.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. ANDER- son, a citizen of the United btates, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Flash Light, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to flash lights and more particularly to that class of flash lights used by photographers for illuminating subjects during the exposure of photographic films. The invention contemplates the use of a flash pan and an adapter, in connection with a well known type of flash stick or mechanical lighter in such a manner that sparks from the flash stick will fall on and ignite the powder in the flash pan.

The principal object of the invention is to produce an article of manufacture in which a simple and novel form of adapter is used to connect a flash stick with the flash pan of a flash light.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby the flash pan is held firmly in position and prevented from turning when ignition takes place.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention I have provided the improved details of structure hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of. a flash light constructed in accordance with my invention;

2 is a fragmental view of the rear of the device;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section thru the adapter showing the relation between the lighter and the flash pan.

4 is a bottom view of the device taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of the clutch mechanism, parts being broken away for better illustration.

Referring more in detail to the parts: 1 designates a flash stick or mechanical lighter of any approved design. it bein understood that this device per se forms no part of the present invention except as it adapts itself to the combination of parts. However the particular lighter I have illustrated consists of a handle 2 in which is rigidly mounteda hollow metal stem 3.

Pivotally mounted on a rivet 4 near the top of stem 3 is one member 5 of a clutch, the other member 6 of said clutch forming a continuation of a circular surface upon which the ratchet wheel 7 is revolubly mounted. Connected to the stem 3 by means of a trigger 8 is a movable bar 9 having a rivet 1O atthe top which engages the clutch members 5 and 6 and which is held yieldingly in upward position by a spring 11 in such a manner that when the triggerS is-pulled downwardly the bar 9 is lowered. The trigger 8 is so arranged that as the rivet 12 is lowered against the tooth13 on the bar 9 the bar 9 is drawn downwardly but as it reaches the limit of. its stroke the tooth trips from the rivet automatically and allows the bar 9 toascend under-the influence of spring 11. The upward movement of bar 9 forces the rivet 10 between the clutch members 5 and 6 spreading them against the inner periphery of the ratchet wheel 7 and thus turning it quickly thru a portion of a circle.

Threaded to the top of a bar 3 is a cap 14 which carries a piece of flashing material 15 and a spring 16 for pressing the flashing material against the ratchet wheel.

Mounted on the top of the lighter is an adapter 17 which consists of a casting having an aperture 18 for receiving the cap 14 and two downwardly extending lugs 19 and 20 which fit snugly on each side of the bar 3 and which have depressions 21 and 22 on the inner faces forming a continuation of the aperture 18 for receiving the lugs 23 and 24 formed by the headed ends of rivet 4 and stabilizing the adapter. Extending laterally from the body of the adapter 17 and at right angles to the lugs 19 and 20 are bosses 25 and 26 to which is fastened by means of rivets 27 and 28 a flash pan 29 comprising a vertical portion 30 which lays against the bosses 25 and 26, a horizontal portion 31 and an upwardly turned flange 32. An aperture 33 is pierce-d thru the flash pan substantially at the vertex of the angle formed by the vertical and horizontal portions thereof and at a point where sparks thrown from the flashing material by the ratchet wheel are carried thru the aperture to ignite powder 34 on the horizontal portion of the flash pan.

In using the device the operator merely places the flash pan on the lighter by inserting the cap 14 into the aperture 18 of the adapter 17 taking care to see that the heads 23 and 24 of the rivet 4 enter the grooves 21 and 22 01 the adapter so that the flash pan will be held firmly in position. He then sprinkles a small amount of powder on the flash pan and holds the device slightly up and away from his body. As the shutter of the camera is opened to e:; pose the photographic film he presses the trigger 8 pulling the bar 9 downwardly and revolving the clutch members Sand 6. As soon as the trigger 8 has reached a certain point in its travel the. rivet 12 trips off the tooth 13 thereby releasing the bar 9 to the action of spring 11 and forcing the rivet l qiiicklyaipward and between the clutch inen'ibers and 6" The clutch ineinbers'arc thus spread and caused to grip the inner periphery of ratchet wheel 7 so that sparks are thrown from the flashing material thru the aperture 33 into the powder '34 which is ignited and throws'out a brilliant light. It will be seen that the lugs 19 and 20 form a groove 18 which registers with the aperture 33 in the flash pan thereby efiectively directing the sparks thru the said aperture onto the flash powder.

The device is simple and effective consisting of the lighter and flash pan which are connected by my special adapter so as to form a new and useful article of in an 'tactu re.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

Clain1 In a flash light, a lighter having a spark ing device, a flash pan having an aperture in registration with said sparking device, an adapter mounted on said flash pan and adapted for removable application to said lighter and lugs on the adapter enclosing a groove for directing sparks from the lighter thru the flash pan aperture.

In testiinony whereof I hereby aitix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

VILLIAM C. ANDERSON. lVitnesses:

'Gno- B. FAGAN, E. V. WEBB. 

